default.cfg disappears

[Teknique]

I dont know if its my front end (Atomic FE) specifically or something else but I thought id ask anyway...  For some reason, my mame default.cfg goes blank periodically.   That is, the .cfg file suddenly becomes empty except for the intial information at the top.  When trying to re-input through the tab menu for 'all games' it will not save after the current game exits and requires deletion of the now empty default.cfg so a new one can auto generate.  It seems to happen randomly.  I have not found any pattern to it except maybe going in and out of games quickly [during cabinet set up... making sure each game actually does work].

It has happened enough that I have the default.cfg text saved on my desktop to restore it when it happens.    Has anyone else had this problem before in mame in general or possibly in Atomic? 

I am using .123 roms, .123 dos mame executable, and latest Atomic with patches.

Thanks

Tek

[youki]

At first view, this problem seems not due to Atomic.

where is located your default.cfg?

Do you use LedWiz ?

[Teknique]

At first view, this problem seems not due to Atomic.

where is located your default.cfg?

Do you use LedWiz ?

Youki,  thanks for replying.  I am also not sure it is with Atomic so wanted to post here instead of Arcade Fever...

My default config is located in standard location...

D:\Mame\cfg\default.cfg 

I do not use LEDwiz, however I do use 49-way sticks and have played with your LEDwiz/GPwiz program to try to generate controls lists.  That actually led to a minor problem with the GPwiz autogenerate program.  I get an error everytime I try to generate a 49way list so have been using a 49 way controls list from mame .106 that Havok posted awhile back.  I believe you mentioned previously this error was due to xml code change?  I am not sure that this this controls list is actually working though but have not done enough testing on individual games to know if it is or not. 

Tek

 

[youki]

Did you try to put (once set) your default.cfg in read only.

i guess, if a application try to modify it , you will have at list an error where you can deduct what application tried to modified it!.

For the GPwiz problem, do you use last patches?

[Teknique]

Did you try to put (once set) your default.cfg in read only.

i guess, if a application try to modify it , you will have at list an error where you can deduct what application tried to modified it!.

For the GPwiz problem, do you use last patches?

That is a great idea.   Almost too simple.  I hadn't thought of making it read-only but it certainly sounds like it should work.  I will give that a shot!

As for the GPWiz controls issue, I do have the latest Atomic .19 as well as the 2/10/08 patch.  When I get home, I wil take a screenshot of the error and post it.  The error is in french but i think it is saying something about a value not being within a certain number range.

Tek     

[u_rebelscum]

Did you try to put (once set) your default.cfg in read only.

That is a great idea.   Almost too simple.  I hadn't thought of making it read-only but it certainly sounds like it should work.  I will give that a shot!

Another thing you can do is copy the default.cfg file and use the copy as a ctrlr file, and leave (or let it go) the default.cfg blank.  Mame doesn't edit the ctrlr files, while it touches the cfg files each time mame is run.

Step by step:
- Set up the default.cfg as usual with mame's in game tab method.
- Copy cfg/default.cfg to ctrlr/default.cfg.
- (Optional) Rename the file in ctrlr folder to whatever you want.  (This example, I'll rename it to ctrlr/myctrlrfile.cfg)
- Edit mame.ini so the ctrlr line names the file in the ctrlr folder; in this example, that would be: ctrlr myctrlrfile


Not as easy as setting the cfg file to read only, but the ctrlr file can be used to do more, too.  The most common is to remap all neogeo games all at once with all games having the same settings and without messing up the other games.

[Teknique]

Thanks u_Rebel-  I do need to configure ctrl files for neo geo and other types of games so that looks like a good alternative.


Youki,
I have attached pics of three things relating to the error that I am getting during autogeneration of my 49way controls file. 

First pic is my actual paths (in case there is syntax in there that Atomic does not like).

Second pic shows a file that I dont believe was ever in my mame folder to begin with - AtomicMame.xml... it also shows a second '\' in there.....However, the confirmation box says that it is 'confirming autogeneration FROM...'- that assumes that the file was always there in the first place and has useable information in it.  Im not sure that it was always there or had useable info in it.

Third pic is the actual error I receive when trying to create a controls file.

Maybe you can see where I did something wrong?

Thanks

Tek

[youki]

Coud you send me, you AtomicMame.xml on my email?

y o u k i  @  a t o m i c f e . c o m

thanks

[phishpac]

Did you try to put (once set) your default.cfg in read only.

That is a great idea.   Almost too simple.  I hadn't thought of making it read-only but it certainly sounds like it should work.  I will give that a shot!

Another thing you can do is copy the default.cfg file and use the copy as a ctrlr file, and leave (or let it go) the default.cfg blank.  Mame doesn't edit the ctrlr files, while it touches the cfg files each time mame is run.

Step by step:
- Set up the default.cfg as usual with mame's in game tab method.
- Copy cfg/default.cfg to ctrlr/default.cfg.
- (Optional) Rename the file in ctrlr folder to whatever you want.  (This example, I'll rename it to ctrlr/myctrlrfile.cfg)
- Edit mame.ini so the ctrlr line names the file in the ctrlr folder; in this example, that would be: ctrlr myctrlrfile


Not as easy as setting the cfg file to read only, but the ctrlr file can be used to do more, too.  The most common is to remap all neogeo games all at once with all games having the same settings and without messing up the other games.

I'm trying to do this, but I'm using fastmame and there is nothing about ctrlr in the fastmame.ini

is there something I can do in mala to make it use a certain .cfg each time I launch a game?

[u_rebelscum]

I'm trying to do this, but I'm using fastmame and there is nothing about ctrlr in the fastmame.ini

is there something I can do in mala to make it use a certain .cfg each time I launch a game?

As in mame 0.84?  Mame's ctrlr stuff has changed a couple times since then.  Go to easyemu's control ini files page, and look 1/3 down the page to "Creating ini file (For Older Versions Of Mame)".  The file format is different than I discribed, needs a subfolder, and you'll have to do make the ini files by hand.

There is, of course, the automatic use of each game's cfg file, but you'll have to setup each game from within mame's UI (IIRC the cfg files were still binary back then).  I suggest the ctrlr ini files.

[phishpac]

are fastmame and mame .84 one in the same?

[phishpac]

thank you urebelscum.  i will work on this today and get back to you.  i appreciate you taking time to read the thread and provide the link.

[phishpac]

I apologize for hijacking this thread, but hopefully you have found your solution.

urebulscum,

I followed the directions step by step from the link you gave me, and fastmame says it "could not load controller file brad.cfg"

I have all the exact same files in the exact same places in another folder that is running mame .105 and it works perfectly.  I wonder if fastmame doesn't support custom ctrlr files?  Any advice?

fastmame is the only version of mame that runs mk3 at 100%, so I really want to use it, but the controls are totally crazy and it won't use a read only default.cfg

[u_rebelscum]

are fastmame and mame .84 one in the same?

No, I confused you with another poster using fastmame 0.84, sorry.   IIRC fastmame went up to 0.95 or there abouts, and mame switched from .ini ctrlr files to .cfg ctrlr file somewhere around 0.85-0.87.  From your posts, sounds like you're using a version after that change. 

Could you run fastmame with help enabled from the commandline ("fastmame -help") and see what version is listed?  I'd guess the top third of the page that I told you to skip should be followed instead , but before I tell you that, let me know the version number.  (The current version of ctrlr is slightly different from that top third.)

[phishpac]

I've got .84 and .98

Both run well for me with the exception of this .cfg mess

[phishpac]

bump